Joy's Beginning
by Silver-Creasent-MOON1995
Summary: A short one-shot about Joy Beka's Gods-Daughter. She is trying to find her way, influenced by Beka she come early one morning to ask Beka some serious questions. READ AND REVEIW!


I awoke this morning to a pounding on my door. I wrapped a robe around my waist and climbed out of my loft. I landed on the floor of my small house in the Lower City. My little one's Ashton and Katie were still asleep in their bed, our bloodhound Achoo on the floor besides them.

The bright morning sunlight hit their pure blonde hair, I smiled they were my pride and joy. But it wasn't my joy right now to awaken so early. The pounding kept going.

"Come now you're goin' to wake my children." I called softly to the pounder; it was probably a runner from the Kennel. Most knew not to bother so early or I'd box their ears, it must have been important.

I opened the door to let a frantic dirty blonde enter the room, her brown eye wide.

"Joy!" I yelped I was surprised to see my Gods-Daughter at my house…so early in the morning.

"I hate her!" she yelled, I grabbed her and pulled her outside.

"I have little ones who need sleep. Now who do you hate?"

"Mama!" she cried and wrung her hands.

"Why?"

"She doesn't like it…"

"Like what?"

"What I wanna do with my life."

I knew where this was going, Joy had always admired me and wanted to be like me. In every way. I titled her head up with my finger and looked into her mahogany brown irises then I saw it, the want to be a Dog.

"You want to be a Dog don't you?" I whispered.

"Yes…" she looked away, "Mama doesn't approve. Papa says it's alright saying that he expected one of his children to be a Dog what with you coming 'round so often and influencin' us even if you didn't mean to."

I looked down. I had hoped that someone that I knew would follow me…but my own Gods-Daughter? I hadn't planned that. I knew Jesse wanted to as well; Tunstall's son was exactly like his father.

"Is Tansy mad at me?" I asked carefully, I knew Tansy she will be angry at me. Even if I had done nothing.

"No…she just angry that I want to move out soon…"

"Soon?" Joy was only fifteen; I lived with My Lord until I was sixteen.

"Mama says that even you didn't move out until you were sixteen…"

"She is right. I could take care of myself but you can't"

"What do you mean?" she flared up, that was my Joy all smiles until she gets offended she is so like her mother.

"How much knife fighting do you know? Do you know any self-defense in the form of kicks and punches?"

"No…"

"Then you can't move out. First you have no source of income. No idea how to protect yourself even if you have a knife on you. I can tell you do up the sleeve of your right arm." She paled and I lifted up her sleeve and pulled out the knife testing its weight I threw it at the tree. It went in hilt deep. I must thank Rosto for all those knife lessons…as well as other favors.

"I…"

I put one hand on her shoulder and lifted her face with one hand.

"I'll need to speak with your Mama about moving in with me. You need to learn sommat before you even think of joining to become a Puppy."

"Aunty Beka really!" she grabbed me by my forearms her eyes shown.

"Come in and watch the kids I'll need to get to your Mama before she calls for the Dogs."

"Got it!" she ran inside she cooed over Katie and Ashton. I smiled got changed and left for Tansy's.

I knocked on the door. Tansy answered it

"Beka! Have you seen Joy I woke up and she wasn't anywhere!" every since the Shadow Snake it was her top priority to keep tabs on all her children. I really couldn't blame her after having my two twins I can't even imagine what she went through, to lose a child like that…so young. I shook myself.

"Tansy she is at my house, watching the twins. She is safe Achoo is over there. She said that she got into an argument with you so she came to me."

"She told you then…and I suppose you want her to follow you. Even though she knows nothing!" Tansy whispered.

"She is a young mot trying to find her path…but I think that she wants to be out on her own for a while."

"She has always admired you for your work. You'd come after your Watches, with big stories about this Rat ye' brought down, or a gang. Some big slave auction that ye caught win' of. I could see it in the gixies eyes. The want to be exactly like her famous Gods-Mother. My lads liked what you did and thought it over as well but they decide that giving the family a better name was a better career path. But she never let it go. I…I'm not sure what to do." She looked down her eyes welling up.

"I don't want to take her from you. She is your second child. Although she is the first after…"I couldn't even say his name. His face and laugh was forever burned into my mind, so small, so young, and so carefree. He's been gone these last sixteen years. He'd be a man by now charming all girls. But it hurt.

"I know…if Eric asked if he could be a Dog I'd let him but…Joy is my first child I've seen grow up first. I can't seem to let her go."

"Al least she had god role models. You and I. The two girls from Mutt Piddle Lane some thirty odd years ago; scraping for bits of bread, beggin' fer coin. Anything that we could use. Now look Im a fifteen year Dog, with two children a home and a solid job warnin' the Rats out of the Cesspool and you a successful business woman who picked put eh pieces of her great gran'-daddy-in-laws empire and built it back." I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

"I know…"

"You have to let her go."

"She can't live on her own!"

"She won't she can board for me. She can pay for me by babysittin' the twins when I'm gone. I'll teach her fighting moves, I've been puttin' it off for too long now." I gripped Tansy, "Tell me no and I won't let her become a Dog. Tell me no and I'll have her come back home. It's your decision now Tansy."

"If you'll take care of her…"

"Tansy… I love Joy. She is my Gods-Daughter. I wouldn't let her get hurt. When she becomes a Puppy I'll even ask Goodwin to place her with me and Ersken. So she'll get training under me, I'll watch her keep her safe. Being a Dog is tough but Joy is unstoppable when she puts her mind to it."

"…it's settled then. Joy can move in any time she wants. But, she has to visit on weekends when she is not too busy."

"Or to tired. I plan to work that girl to be as tough as nails. You'll see Tansy."

"Now get back home that girl has probably feed Ashton and Katie to Achoo already."

"I will." I wandered back home. I saw Joy sitting in the garden watching my kids play in the grass Achoo sitting nearby watching their every move and every passerby. Achoo no longer worked for the Dogs but she was still loyal to me. She was a good watch dog to keep at home.

"What did Mama say?" yelled Joy from the yard.

"You're welcome to stay but you must visit weekends."

"Wahooooo!" she whooped she and began to dance on the lawn with Ash and Katie. My children laughed and gurgled happily.

"Now Joy go into the house and get a pair of you over night clothes. Put on breeches and an old, but clean shirt."

Joy ran in and then came out smiling and happy, not for long. I threw a kick at her shoulder, she fell back.

"Your first lesson in fighting starts now. When I kick to your right shoulder you use your right forearm to block it. Then use your left fist to punch the attacker. Also vice-versa. Now let's try it." Once again I threw a kick to her shoulder. She fell back again landing on her but.

"We have one year until you become a Puppy. I'm going to drill you. Now get back up."

I leaned down and pulled her up and we started.


End file.
